1. The Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to campfire containment, and more particularly, but not necessarily entirely, to a portable campfire containment system.
2. Description of Background Art
Sitting around a campfire is a favorite pastime for many people. Too often though, unattended or carelessly constructed campfires become the source of a wildfire which has the potential to cause damage to both property and natural resources. Further, wildfires can lead to the loss of human life, including the fire fighters combating the blaze. Because of the devastating destruction that can result from a campfire, civil authorities often ban campfires in times of extreme fire danger in certain areas.
The traditional method to build a campfire includes arranging several rocks in a ring, referred to as a “fire ring,” to form a barrier between the fire and any combustible material, such as grass or wood surrounding the fire ring. Unfortunately, a fire ring of rocks often does little to stop a fire from spreading due to, among other things, the gaps between the rocks and the overall low height of the rock ring.
In established campgrounds, such as those operated by the U.S. forest service, permanent fire pits are constructed. A fire pit generally extends two to three feet deep into the ground. The wall of the pit can comprise cement, metal or some other fire resistant material. The wall of the pit serves to form an effective barrier in preventing the fire from spreading beyond the confines of the pit. The wall also serves as a support to prevent the surrounding dirt from collapsing into the pit. While there is no doubt that fire pits are more effective than a fire ring of rocks, the permanent nature of a fire pit, the work involved to prepare a fire pit and relative high cost makes them unavailable at most camp sites, especially where the camp site is not in an established campground.
Several portable campfire rings have been developed in an attempt to overcome the drawbacks of the ring of rocks and campfire pits as stated above. One such campfire ring is a portable device having a plurality of rigid panels for encircling a campfire. The rigid panels are interlocked end to end with hinges. The rigid panels can be deployed in a rectangular or hexagonal configuration. Each panel further has a plurality of draft slots.
Another available device is a camping furnace whose enclosure wall is substantially cylindrical in shape. The enclosure wall is further characterized by having vent openings located near its bottom edge. The enclosure wall can be made of separable and/or hinged sections so that it can be disassembled or collapsed for storage and transport.
Still another device provides a portable campfire ring comprised of a plurality of curved sections which are secured in an end-to-end relationship to form a semi-circle. The campfire ring is further comprised of a grill extension that is connected to the ends of the semi-circle. For storage and transport, the curved sections and grill extension are disassembled into separate pieces.
Yet another available device is a portable field stove which has a collapsed configuration for storage and transport and a set-up configuration for supporting a utensil above a heat source. The stove comprises a front plate and a back plate collapsibly connected together by foldable ends. The pieces are joined end-to-end by hinges, thereby allowing the stove to be collapsed.
Still another device for confining a campfire provides a portable campfire fireplace having a plurality of side walls and an adjustable cooking grill. The side walls are constructed of metal and are connected end-to-end by hinges. The hinges allow the side walls to be collapsed against each other for storage and transport.
An additional available device for confining a campfire provides a portable barbeque device having four panels. The panels are connected together in an end-to-end configuration by hinges. The hinges allow the panels to be folded together in a collapsed configuration for storage and transport.
All of the aforementioned devices provide various types of portable devices for containing a fire within a confined area. In general, the described devices are characterized by being comprised of sectional pieces joined together to form a campfire ring or wall. The sectional pieces are typically rigid in nature and are either releasably connected together to form a wall or are connected with a hinge. The devices can be disassembled or collapsed for storage when not in use. Disassembly or collapsing of the device also aids in transporting the devices.
One disadvantage of the previously available devices is that disassembly results in multiple pieces having to be transported and stored. It is also a significant disadvantage of rigid panels in that tedious assembly and disassembly is required. Another disadvantage is that the size of the containment area cannot be finely adjusted in size due to the rigid nature of the sectional pieces. Further, the multiple pieces of the described devices increases manufacturing costs.
The previously available devices are thus characterized by several disadvantages that are addressed by the present invention. The present invention minimizes, and in some aspects eliminates, the above-mentioned failures, and other problems, by utilizing the methods and structural features described herein.